Of Handshakes and Promises
by Not-Completely-Insane
Summary: Castiel and Dean meet in 2nd grade and become fast friends, but Dean doesn't know Castiel has a secret; he's abused. Will Dean find out before it's to late?


Diclaimer: I don't own Supernatural...if I did...well...heh...

Summary: Castiel and Dean meet in 2nd grade and become fast friends, but Dean doesn't know Castiel has a secret; he's abused. Will Dean find out before it's to late?

Warnings: Character death! Tear jerker...and OOC because they're 7...don't like don't read!

Of Handshakes and Promises

* * *

Seven year old Dean Winchester looked around his second grade classroom. It was the first day and he already couldn't wait to make new friends. He saw some kids already playing while other kids were crying, not yet ready to leave their parents. He understood how they felt. Well, kind of anyway. He didn't want to leave his dad and baby brother, Sam, but he knew he had to.

"Ok children. Tell your parents goodbye." said the cheery voice of his teacher, Mrs. Consoline. "It's time for class to start."

Dean decided he already liked her. She seemed nice and she reminded him of his mom. She had blonde curly hair, bright green eyes, and a voice that rang like beautiful bells. Thinking about his mother brought a pang of pain, but he quickly pushed it down. She was in Heaven watching him. He couldn't cry, not on his first day. What would she think?

"I'll come pick you up after school, ok Dean?" his father, John, said as he patted his oldest son's hair.

"Ok daddy!" Dean replied happily. "Bye Sammy!"

Sam giggled and waved to his brother. "Bye bye Dean!"

Dean smiled as he watched his dad and brother leave. He watched the other parents leave as well, their children waving goodbye. That's when he noticed the boy already sitting in a chair at one of the circular tables. His parents weren't there to say goodbye. No one had even talked to him. He smiled and went to him.

"Hi!" he said, giving him his best smile. "I'm Dean! What's your name?"

The boy looked at him, surprise clear in his eyes. Dean noticed right away that he had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. He had pale skin that just made his eyes pop. His dark brown hair framing his pale face and hanging just over his eyes gave him an angelic appearance. He was, to put it simply, beautiful even though there was an ugly looking bruise around his left eye and a busted lip.

"Are...you talking to me?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side.

Dean smiled at the simple motion. It was adorable. "Mhm!" he replied as he nodded.

"Oh." the boy responded before giving him a shy smile. "I'm Castiel."

Dean grinned. "It's nice to meet you Cas!"

Castiel blinked and tilted his head. "No, it's Castiel."

"I know!" Dean said. "But my mommy used to say that when you make a friend and give them a nickname it shows af-fec-tion."

Castiel smiled as Dean repeated the word a few times before he was satisfied he got it right.

"I'm not good at nicknames." Castiel admitted, his smile dropping as he figured Dean would go away, but Dean merely shrugged.

"It's ok. There's not much you can get from 'Dean' anyways." Dean said, giving Castiel a friendly smile, which Castiel returned.

"Ok class!" Mrs. Consoline said. "We'll go around the class and introduce ourselves. Just tell the class your name and a little about yourself, your friends, and family, and maybe even something you like to do. Who wants to go first?"

Dean's hand shot up. "Me! Mrs. C, me!"

Mrs. Consoline smiled. "All right Dean. Go ahead."

Dean stood up and went to the front of the class. "Hi! I'm Dean Winchester! I'm 7 and a half years old. I live with my daddy and my little brother Sammy. My daddy's a mechanic and Sammy's three. My bestest friend is Cas. I like fishing and playing with my little brother and meeting new friends!" When Dean finished he sat back down.

"Who's next?" Mrs. Consoline asked.

"Cas!" Dean called as he held up the boy's arm. Castiel looked horrified.

"All right, go on Castiel." Mrs. Consoline encouraged.

Castiel walked to the front of the class. "Um. My name is Castiel. I'm, uh, 7. I live with my mommy. My best friend is Dean." Castiel looked down and nervously pulled at the sleeves of his jacket, afraid everyone could see the bruises hidden on his arms. "That's all." Castiel sat back down.

Dean looked at him and frowned. "Cas? Are you ok? You're crying."

"I don't like talking infront of people." Castiel whispered, wiping his eyes. "Don't tell the teacher. I don't want her to be mad."

Dean nodded. "Ok. I won't. But you gotta stop crying."

Castiel sniffled and wiped his eyes again. "I will. Promise."

Dean gave him a smile which Castiel eagerly returned. Dean decided he liked Castiel's smile while Castiel decided he liked Dean.

**SPNSPNSPN**

As the days went on, Castiel and Dean got closer. They were practically inseparable. Whatever Dean did, Castiel did. Wherever Dean went, Castiel was sure to be right behind him. They hated going home. For Dean it meant leaving Castiel. To Castiel it meant leaving Dean's protection.

At home Dean talked non-stop about Castiel. It was always "me and Cas" this and "me and Cas" that. Not a single day went by where Castiel wasn't the topic of Dean's conversation.

Castiel was different. At home Dean's name was never mentioned. Castiel didn't talk when he was home. His mother never asked how his day was or if he needed help with his homework. He just went straight to his room and hoped he didn't make his mother angry.

"Hey Cas?" Dean said one day at lunch.

Castiel looked up at him. "Yeah Dean?" he asked before taking a bite of the sandwich that Dean had brought for him.

"How'd you get that cut on your cheek?" he asked, oblivious to how Castiel froze. "And how come you don't get bandaids with pictures on them like Ben 10 or even Barbie if you're into that? Well, not Barbie 'cause that's girly. But plain one's are boring! And don't tell me you fell! That's what you told me yesterday about the bruise on your arm and leg. You even said you fell last week! And how come you don't bring your own lunch? I don't mind bringing you a sandwich, 'cause I like bringing you lunch 'cause you're my best friend, but how come your mommy doesn't make one for you?"

"Well I did fall." Castiel mumbled. "I'm really clumsy. You know that Dean. And my mommy just...doesn't have time to make me a lunch."

Dean sighed and got up. "Fine. If you say so."

Castiel bit his lip as he watched Dean walk away. He knew he was just going to throw their trash away but he couldn't help but feel like he was going to go to another table. He was relieved when Dean came back to the table, a huge grin on his face.

"Guess what today is!" Dean said excitedly.

Castiel cocked his head as he thought, an action Dean has come to love, before realization dawned on him and he smiled. "Thursday! Extra recess!"

The two boys gave each other a high five before sitting back down and waiting for the teacher to tell them they could go. When they heard her voice, they raced outside to the playground. Castiel bit his lip and hesitantly grabbed Dean's hand.

"Dean?" he asked nervously, looking up at the slightly taller boy. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure Cas." Dean replied. "You know you can."

Castiel led him to the jungle gym. "I'll tell you when we get to the top." Castiel said as he started to climb, closely followed by Dean.

"Ok." Dean said, crossing his arms when they reached their destination. "What did you want to tell me?"

Castiel was scared. He started to have second thoughts. He shouldn't have told Dean he wanted to tell him something. Surely Dean would hate him and never want to talk to him again. What if he said they weren't friends anymore? That's what was going to happen because Castiel couldn't keep his mouth shut. That's why his mother hated him, because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Cas, come on." Dean spoke up. "Everyone's already starting to go in."

Castiel was surprised. Really? How long had he been stuck in his thoughts?

"Cas, just te-"

Biting his lip, Castiel fisted his hands in Dean's shirt and pressed his lips to Dean's in an innocent, childish kiss. Immediately he pulled away and slid down the slide, eager to get away from Dean's reaction and the harsh words he was sure to say.

Dean stared at the spot Castiel had just been standing in. Slowly he brought his hand up, brushing his fingertips over his lips. Did Cas just kiss him? Dean looked over the side and watched Castiel run inside. Why had he run? He frowned. He had no idea, but he had more pressing matters to deal with. He had to figure out why Cas kissed him. He slid down the slide and walked inside.

_"I'll just ask him."_ Dean thought before another thought entered his mind. What if Cas expected him to know why he had kissed him?

He walked to his class and saw Castiel. He quickly looked away. He had to figure out why Cas kissed him. He didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings by not knowing. He sat in his chair by Castiel and crossed his arms. Why was this so hard to figure out?

Castiel bit his lip and looked at Dean. He shouldn't have kissed him. He knew that Dean didn't like him. They were just friends. It was stupid. He was stupid. Maybe he should apologize?

"De-"

"Do you like me?" Dean asked. "My mommy and daddy used to kiss all the time and they liked each other. They kissed us too, but that was on the cheek, but they always kissed each other on the lips."

Castiel bit his lip and nodded. He didn't know what to feel when Dean nodded and smiled, but he felt extremely happy when Dean looked at him and said, "I like you too."

Castiel couldn't help it. He was just so happy. He tackled Dean out of his chair and onto the floor. Dean laughed and wrapped his arms around Castiel's shoulders.

"Boys!" Mrs. Consoline called as she saw them fall. "What are you two doing?"

Dean and Castiel both looked at her. She had her arms crossed and a disapproving look on her face. Castiel immediately felt uncomfortable. He started to pull away from Dean, not wanting to anger her anymore, but Dean just tightened his grip and grinned up at the teacher.

"Me and Cas are gonna get married 'cause that's what people do when they like each other." Dean said, a huge smile on his face. "My mommy and daddy liked each other and got married and had me and Sammy so that's what Cas and me are gonna do! We're gonna get married and have kids!"

Mrs. Consoline couldn't keep the smile from her face. "You two are going to get married, huh?" she asked, trying not to laugh as Dean nodded vigorously. "Well first we have to finish class all right?"

"Well..." Dean started, looking at Castiel who looked back at him with his bright blue eyes before looking back at Mrs. Consoline and smiling. "I guess we can wait."

"Good." Mrs. Consoline said. "So get back in your seats so we can get finished."

Castiel stood up and helped Dean up. He couldn't help but to smile.

"Are we really gonna get married?" Castiel asked in a whisper as he and Dean sat down at their table.

"Mhm." Dean answered, holding up his pinky for a pinky swear. "Promise."

Castiel smiled and crossed his pinky with Dean's. He trusted Dean. He quickly kissed Dean's cheek before turning his attention to the front, Dean doing the same.

Mrs. Consoline smiled. Dean held Castiel's hand through the whole class.

**SPNSPNSPN**

"...and me and Cas are gonna get married!" Dean announced after telling his father about his day at school.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" John asked after the initial shock from his son's words passed.

"Well he kissed me so he likes me and people get married when they like each other, right Sammy?" Dean said, turning to his baby brother.

"Right!" Sam agreed, giggling as Dean held up a hand for a high five. Sam hit Dean's hand and both boys laughed.

John smiled at his sons. He was glad Dean was getting along so well in school.

"Maybe you should ask him if he wants to come over." John suggested, a playful smile on his face. "I have to approve of your future fiancee."

Dean gave him a puzzled look. "What's a fi-an-cee?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face.

John chuckled at the confused look Dean gave him. "A fiancee is someone you're going to marry."

Dean grinned. "I gotta tell Cas that tomorrow!" Dean shouted as he jumped up.

John gave his oldest son a smile. "All right lover boy, did you finish your homework?"

Dean shook his head. "Not yet. It's all spelling words so I need help."

"Ok." John replied. "When we get done eating, I'll help you."

Dean smiled. "Thanks daddy." he said as he took another bite of his supper.

**SPNSPNSPN**

Castiel smiled as he hummed softly to himself. He was doing his homework in his room, but he wasn't getting far. He couldn't concentrate. His mind was on Dean. He giggled and flopped back on his bed. He couldn't wait until tomorrow. He couldn't wait to see Dean.

He jumped up and put his unfinished homework in his backpack. He'd try again later. He stood up and walked to his dresser to get a change of clothes. He stopped when he heard someone walking.

_"Please pass my door, please pass my door."_ he thought to himself.

The door opened. Castiel gulped and turned his attention to the door.

"Mommy?" Castiel asked as he looked up at the woman.

"You sonofabitch!" the woman yelled as she made her way to the child, kicking over anything in her way. When she reached the boy she jerked him up by his shirt and slammed him into the wall. Castiel yelped as the air was knocked from his lungs. The woman threw him to the floor and Castiel tried desperately to breathe. when he caught his breath, he looked up at his mother.

"Mommy?" he choked out. "I-I'm sorry mommy."

"Shut up!" the woman screamed and kicked him in the side.

Castiel squeezed his eyes closed tightly. He couldn't slip up again. He couldn't make a noise. His mother would just be more angry.

"It's your fault! It's all your fault!" she screamed as she hit him over and over. "It's your fault he left! It's your fault he doesn't love me!"

Castiel could feel the tears spring to his eyes. His father had left when he was four. He had told daddy that "mommy was wrestling in bed with another man." He didn't know that would make the man leave. He remembered that his mother had been so upset about it. She still functioned. She still made meals and bathed him, but she wouldn't talk to him. A few months later she found out that he had been cheating on her too. A few months later she started beating him.

"Stop crying!" he was snapped out of his thoughts as his mother's voice cut through his mind and he felt her nails scratch his cheek.

He winced and cried out as the pain surged though his cheek. He could feel the blood drip down his jaw. He wiped it away, careful not to touch the new wounds.

"I hate you!" she screamed. "I hate you! I want you dead! I should just kill you now!"

Castiel felt fear run through him. She had never said she wanted to kill him before. He looked up at her. Was she serious? Was she going to kill him?

He sighed with relief when she left the room. A bluff to scare him. That's all. He sniffled and walked to the pile of clothes on the floor, picking them up before walking to the bathroom. He'd get a shower, bandage the scratches, and then sleep.

He smiled as he added, 'and tomorrow I'll see Dean' to his list.

**SPNSPNSPN**

Dean ran up to Castiel as soon as he saw the boy.

"Guess what!" Dean said excitedly, jumping up and down before his smile dropped when he saw the bandage. "What happened?"

"Um. A cat scratched me." Castiel replied. "What did you wanna tell me?"

Dean didn't believe him and Castiel knew it. "Really Dean. It was a cat. I guess he didn't wanna be messed with." he smiled and kissed Dean's cheek, which quickly made Dean smile. "What did you wanna tell me? Tell me! Please?"

"You're my fiancee!" Dean replied. "My daddy says the person you're gonna get married to is your fiancee so you're my fiancee and I'm your fiancee!"

Castiel giggled. "Really?" he smiled and hugged Dean. "I'm glad you're my fiancee then!"

Dean smiled and hugged him back. "Me too!" Dean pulled back slightly to look at Castiel before leaning down and kissing his lips in an innocent kiss.

Castiel closed his eyes and kissed back before pulling away and smiling.

"Ok class. Let's get to work!" Mrs. Consoline said cheerfully as the students sat down at their tables. She glacned at Dean and Castiel and smiled as she noticed they were once again holding hands.

**SPNSPNSPN**

Recess came and Dean and Castiel were back on top of the jungle gym. They were laying on the floor and staring up at the sky, watching the clouds pass by.

"Oh!" Dean said suddenly, sitting up. "I got a question for you!"  
Castiel sat up and looked at him. "What is it?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Do you wanna spend the night sometime? Maybe tonight! Or tomorrow night!" Dean replied, looking at him hopefully. "My daddy already said it's ok!"

Castiel bit his lip and looked down. He wanted to, but his mother would probably say no and hit him. He didn't want to ask because he knew it would just anger her. He looked up at Dean. He had to ask. He couldn't disappoint Dean, so he smiled.

"Ok! I'll ask my mommy when I go home!" he answered.

Dean grinned and hugged him tightly. "Ok!" He pulled away. "I can't wait! We're gonna have so much fun!"

Castiel smiled. He hoped his mother would say it was ok. He wanted to spend time with Dean away from school.

"Come on." Dean said as he took Castiel's hand in his own. "It's time to go in."

Castiel nodded and slid down the slide, closely followed by Dean. He stood up and waited for Dean, Dean taking his hand as he stood. They walked inside, hand in hand.

**SPNSPNSPN**

"So what did he say?" John asked as his son jumped into the car and bounced in his seat.

"He said he'd have to ask his mom but he wants to!" Dean answered, his voice getting louder and louder as he spoke. "I can't wait! We're gonna have so much fun!"

His eyes widened as thoughts flooded into his mind. "Can we go out for icecream? And can we go to the park? And the pool? I love the pool and I think Cas will too!" Dean shot off question after question. "And can we get pizza? And soda? And can we go see a movie?"

John chuckled and nodded. "Of course Dean." John answered. "Anything you want."

Dean smiled. "Thanks daddy!" he said as he buckled his seat belt. "Now you get to meet my fiancee!"

**SPNSPNSPN**

Castiel stepped into the house and quietly shut the door. The walk home had been horrible. All he could think about was asking his mother and her getting angry with him. He gulped as he heard her in the kitchen. He had to get this over with.

"Mommy?" he called hesitantly as he walked into the kitchen.

She was standing by the stove, a few pots on the burners and he could smell something baking in the oven.

"Mommy?" he said louder.

She turned and glared at him. "What do you want?" she spat as he walked to her.

"I was...wondering if I could go to my friend's house to spend the night?" he asked, silently praying she wouldn't hit him.

Her glare intensified as she listened to him talk. "What makes you think you have any right to have friends?" she screamed as she back handed him. "How dare you even ask to go somewhere? You don't deserve it! You haven't earned it!"

Castiel whimpered and backed away from her. "I'm s-sorry mommy." he whimpered, fear obvious in his voice. "Y-you're right. I'm so sorry."

"You better be sorry." she sneered as she walked to him and kicked his stomach, knocking him to the floor.

He clutched pathetically at his stomach as tears streamed down his cheeks. It only made her angrier.

"What have I told you time and time again?" she yelled. "Stop crying!"

She picked up one of the pots she had been cooking with and threw it at him. The pot alone burned and sent pain shooting through him. The pot's contents only succeeded in burning him further. He screamed in pain. He had never felt pain like this in his life. He fell completely to the floor, clawing at the burning feelings all over him, but it only made it worse. He wanted it off. He wanted it to stop. He screamed pathetically as she kicked his back. He curled up, trying to protect himself but he knew it wouldn't matter. She was angry and she wanted to hurt him.

His eyes snapped open as he heard the sound of her heels hitting the tile. He looked at her and fear instantly filled his eyes as she stalked out of the room.

"M-mommy?" he asked as he pushed himself up and leaned against the wall. He knew what she was doing. He knew what she was going to get. "Please mommy."

She smirked as she came back. Castiel gulped as he saw the black leather belt held tightly in her hand.

"Mommy, no." Castiel begged as he felt tears stream down his face. She laughed and brought the belt down, hitting him with it as hard as she could. She didn't care where the belt hit. His shoulder, his back, his side, his chest, his head, it didn't matter to her. She just wanted him to shut up.

"Stop crying!" she shouted, slamming the belt down harder. "Stop screaming!"

She hit him harder. Blood began dripping out of his mouth, nose, and side of his head where the buckle hit. His skin was already littered with bruises. His right eye was swollen shut. The buckle hit him randomly and left gashes as it ripped apart his flesh, but she didn't care. She laughed as he cried and screamed and begged her to stop. She didn't care she was hurting him, she had never cared.

When Castiel became silent she stopped. She clutched the belt tightly and panted, her glare slowly disappearing. She stood up and put the belt on the counter, wiping the blood off of her hands with a towel. She looked back at Castiel and realization dawned on her. Castiel was dead. Her child was dead. She was sadden by it. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she laughed. She quickly left the room, unable to stare at the body any longer. She had to leave. She had to get out of the state. Surely they would arrest her for this and she was not going to go to jail for getting rid of her problems.

She went to her bedroom and packed her clothes and some money and grabbed her cars keys before going outside, loading the trunk, and driving off.

**SPNSPNSPN**

Dean woke up in the middle of the night screaming. John ran into the room, worried about his son's safety.

"Dean, what's wrong?" he shouted as he came in, looking around for anyone who could've come into the room.

"I-I had a n-night-mare!" Dean sobbed, wiping his eyes as tears streamed down. "C-Cas got hur...hurt!"

John frowned and walked to his oldest son's bed. "Dean," he said, sitting beside the boy. "Cas is fine. You'll see him on Monday. You just need to go through tomorrow and then school will be the next day."

Dean looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "A-are you s-sure he's o...ok?" Dean asked, the fear and sadness obvious in his voice. He was worried. His dream had seemed so real. Cas had been hit so many times...

"I'm positive he's fine." John reassured his son with a smile. "Promise."

Dean smiled and nodded before hugging his dad. "Thanks daddy." he said as he laid back down, John tucking him back in.

"See you tomorrow Dean." John said. "Good night. Love you."

"Good night daddy." Dean replied before he fell asleep.

**SPNSPNSPN**

The next day was agony for Dean. He didn't want to stay home, he wanted to go to school. He moped around for most of the day, only smiling when Cas was brought up.

"We're gonna have a big wedding." Dean said when Sam asked what kind of wedding Dean and Cas were going to have. "It's gonna be awesome!"

John smiled as Dean laughed. He was upset off and on throughout the day so it was good to see his son happy.

**SPNSPNSPN**

"Get to sleep fast and tomorrow will come sooner." John said as he tucked his son in.

Dean smiled and quickly shut his eyes. He wanted to get to sleep fast. The sooner he could see Cas, the better.

John turned off the light and left the room. He knew Dean was going to be hyper tomorrow.

**SPNSPNSPN**

"Daddy, wake up!" Dean shouted as he jumped on his father's bed. "It's time to go!"

"'m up." John mumbled as he rolled over to look at his alarm clock. It read 5:37am. "Dean. We still have an hour before we have to get up."

"But I wanna see Cas now!" Dean whined.

John sighed and got up. "Fine." he yawned. He looked at Dean and laughed. He was wearing blue jeans with a hole in the knee, a plaid button up shirt with the buttons in the wrong holes, and a stripped jacket. Needless to say, he didn't match.

"What? No poka dots?" John asked, laughing even harder when Dean gave him a confused look.

"What?" Dean asked, not understanding the joke.

"Nothing." John said as he calmed down. "Let's go get you dressed."

"But I am dressed!" Dean pouted and crossed his arms.

"You need to match." John replied as he picked Dean up. "Your mother would be appalled."

Dean didn't understand but smiled anyway. "Ok daddy!" Dean said. "But it better not take long!"

**SPNSPNSPN**

After purposely wasting half an hour, John had Dean dressed. Dean ran to the kitchen and was about to go out of the door when John's voice stopped him.

"Dean, you need to eat breakfast first."

"But daddy!" Dean whined. "I wanna see Cas now!"

"Cas isn't going to be there this early." John said, sighing as Dean took on a sad look. "He's going to be there at the same time as any other day."

Dean looked down and nodded before he went and sat at the table. John fixed him a bowl of cereal which he ate slowly. John sighed again. Seven years old and his son was already having relationship problems. He chuckled softly to himself and went to wake up Sam.

Dean stared at his cereal. He didn't know whether or not to eat his cereal fast or slow. He just wanted to see Castiel as soon as possible. He smiled. Castiel. He would make everything better. With renewed happiness he finished his cereal and put his bowl in the sink.

"Daddy!" he called. "Can we go now?"

**SPNSPNSPN**

Dean ran into the classroom and immediately knew something was wrong. Mrs. Consoline was crying and there was an police officer talking to her. The others kids were sitting quietly in their seats. No one seemed to be happy. He sat in his seat and looked around. Where was Cas?

"Class." Mrs. Consoline started after the officer left. "I have some very bad news for you."

The children looked up at her, all eager to know what had upset their teacher so much. She took a shuddering breath and pursed her lips before she continued.

"Castiel..." she began before a fresh wave of tears over took her.

Dean's eyes widened. "What's wrong with Cas?" he screamed as he jumped up. "What's wrong with him?"

Dean could feel tears in his eyes but he had no idea why. He fisted his hands as he waited for her to talk. It felt like an eternity before she could.

"Castiel won't be joining us for class anymore." she said as she wiped her eyes.

Dean had never felt such sadness and fear, not even when his mother had died three years ago.

"What...what do you mean?" Dean asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"I think your father needs to tell you." she replied, unable to look at the child any longer.

"But how would my daddy know?" Dean asked, but he never received an answer.

He sat back down and stared at Castiel's chair. Where was his best friend and why wasn't he going to come back?

**SPNSPNSPN**

When Dean got home his father sat him down on the couch. He didn't like the grave look on his father's face nor did he like the way his voice sounded when he said, "Dean, we need to talk."

"What's wrong daddy?" Dean asked. "Mrs. C said you were gonna tell me what's wrong with Cas. How come you didn't tell me if you knew? That's not nice. I wanted to see him today and you knew that daddy, you knew that!"

John looked as if Dean had slapped him. The tears formed in his eyes and he pulled Dean into his lap and hugged him.

"Mrs. Consoline called me and told me what happened." John whispered. "I'm so sorry, Dean, but Cas is dead."

Dean's eyes widened. "D-dead?" he asked. "W-what do you mean?"

He didn't want to know the answer. He had heard that word, dead, before. It had been said at his mother's funeral, when they buried her.

"I mean he's in Heaven Dean, with mommy." John answered.

"No..." Dean whimpered before the tears flooded down his eyes and he began screaming. "No! He's not dead! He can't be dead! No!"

John pulled Dean tighter to him and rocked him. "Sh." he mumbled. "It'll be ok Dean, it'll be ok."

"No!" Dean cried, fisting his hands in John's shirt. "We were gonna get married and have kids like you and mommy!"

John rubbed his back. He would have laughed at the last part if it hadn't been for the situation. He kept rocking Dean until he finally cried himself to asleep. He kissed his head and carried him to his room.

"Don't worry Dean." he whispered. "He's watching over you like mommy.

**SPNSPNSPN**

The funeral wasn't that big. Only the kids and their parents and Mrs. Consoline showed up. None of Castiel's family was there. His mother was suspected to have done it, she was no where to be found, and his father hadn't been seen since the divorce.

Flowers were everywhere. Reds and blues and pinks and even purples were strewn around the coffin. The coffin itself was small, but it was beautiful. It was white with gold and silver borders and trimmings. It was stood on a small stand. It wasn't that far from the ground. The lid was closed.

John looked at Dean. The child hadn't cried since he found out two days ago. He just stayed quiet and by himself. He didn't talk to anyone, he barely ate, and he shut himself away from John and Sammy. Sam had asked repeatedly if Dean was ever going to be happy again and John reassured him that he would.

"We're here today to honor the memory of Castiel Constantine Constance. He was a quiet young man who had not been given the chance to go far in life..."

Dean tuned the preacher out. Whatever he had to say, Dean didn't care. He was wrong anyway. He didn't know Cas, _he_ new Cas. Cas was _his_ best friend, _his_ fiancee, no one elses. He wiped his eyes. He wasn't crying, but he didn't care. He looked back at the casket. It was closed and that made him angry. He had been able to see his mother before they buried her, why not Cas?

He walked to the coffin, ignoring his father telling him to come back. He didn't care that everyone had their attention on him. He didn't care the preist had stopped talking. He could honestly care less. He pulled on the lid where he knew he would reveal Castiel's upper half.

"Child, you can't open that!" the priest said but again, Dean could care less.

He pulled it open and felt the tears spring to his eyes. Bandages were everywhere. You could barely see Castiel's face. And he was so pale, death pale, and it made the bruises stand out even more than they should. He sniffled and wiped his eyes as he felt the tears spill down his cheeks. His friend would never open his eyes again, never speak again, never smile again. He would never see those bright blue eyes look at him with such trust ever again, never hear his voice ask him questions or say 'I love you Dean' ever again, he would never see that beautiful smile that could brighten up any bad day ever again.

He sobbed and covered his eyes. It wasn't fair. Why Cas? What did he do wrong? He jerked away when John touched his shoulder, ignored him when he told him to step back.

"No!" he screamed. "No! It's not fair!"

Everyone was silent. They watched as Dean looked back at Cas and leaned over the side of the casket and gave Castiel a small, innocent kiss on his lips. They choked back sobs as Dean gave Castiel one last smile.

"You better remember that I love you." Dean said, the smile slipping as he spoke. "Just 'cause you're in Heaven now doesn't mean we're not gonna get married. I promised remember? So we'll get married when I get there 'cause you're still my fiancee so keep my mommy company while you're there. She's gonna love you too. Not like me, but like a mommy does."

John couldn't stop the tears that slide down his cheeks. He picked Dean up and hugged him.

"Don't worry Dean." John said as the child cried. "He remembers. He'll be waiting for you."

Dean nodded and looked back at the coffin as they closed the lid. Now they were going to bury him and he would be gone.

**SPNSPNSPN**

Seventeen year old Dean Winchester sat on the grass infront of a freshly cleaned grave and smiled. He took a sip of his Sprite before he began talking.

"Today that girl Lisa, you remember her right? I told you about her last week? Well anyway, she asked me out today and you know what I told her?" Dean paused as if expecting an answer.

"Damn right!" he said after a few moments. "I told her 'hell no, I'm already engaged.' And you know what she said to me? Oh man you won't believe what she said! She crossed her arms and really bitchily she said 'who is the bitch? I'll kill her ass!' and I said 'oh hell no bitch!'"

Dean paused and took a sip of his drink. "I would have hit her but Sammy beat me to it."

Dean laughed and laid beside the grave. He took another sip and looked at the sky. "He came right up and decked her right in the mouth! Then he glared at her and said 'bitch, don't talk about my brother's fiancee like that! He's better than you'll ever be!' She looked so surprised and looked at me and said 'you're gay?' It was so funny, the look on her face!" He paused before his eyes widened. "Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you! Me and you, we're considered 'gay.' You know, since we're both guys and all and we like each other."

He sat up again and looked at the grave. "I wish Sammy could have gotten to know you, but he says with how much I talk about you it's like you're already part of the family." Dean smiled and anyone looking could see the sadness behind it.

"But that's ok, right Cas?" Dean asked, replacing his sad smile with a content one. "He'll meet you one day and until then I know you're up there with mom. You better be treating her good, you hear me? If I find out you're giving her a hard time when I get there we're gonna have some problems!"

Dean laughed and laid back down. "Nah. I know you. I know you're treating her good. And I'll treat you real good when I get there, you just wait. I know you don't want me there to soon, but I can't wait to see you." he paused as if to get some sort of interjection. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Live my life like I mean it. I am Cas, don't worry. I'm not going any time soon, but that doesn't mean I can't wait."

He stood up and stretched. Yawning, he finished his soda and looked back at the grave. "I'll see you later ok Cas? Dad'll flip if I come home at four in the morning again." he checked his cell phone and laughed. "Well I'm screwed. It's 4:56am."

He paused and listened to the wind blow through the trees for a few moments before bending down and lightly kissing the headstone.

"I'll be back later, ok? Probably right after school like today, or should I say yesterday?" He paused again and smiled.

"I love you Cas." he whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek as he said the four small words like always. "I'll see you later. Promise."

He began walking away before he stopped and turned around to look back at the grave.

"Just wait Cas." he said with a grin. "Our wedding day is gonna be a bang."

He turned away from the grave and started walking. "Not even Heaven will forget it my angel."

He thought he heard a voice saying, "Promise?" and Dean smiled and looked at the grave before looking at the sky. He raised his fist but left his pinky up for a pinky swear.

"I promise!" he called. And with that he began walking again. He put one hand in his pocket and he could swear that he felt Cas grab his other.

* * *

ok...that almost made me cry writing it...hope you all enjoyed! I'd love to know what you thought! and Castiel's middle and last name came from my best friend! she LOVES the names Constantine and Constance and since the name Castiel supposedly comes from the name Constantine...it stuck!

and I know that there are no handshakes in the story...I just really really thought the title sounded good with it...


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